Jetty Creek

Summary: Jetty Creek is part of the Nehalem watershed and is the first major tributary that drains into Nehalem Bay.

The City of Rockaway Beach owns and operates a Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and diverts its water from Jetty Creek. This point of diversion had several problems associated with it:

The diversion dam created a fish passage barrier.

Low summer streamflows created difficulty for the City in meeting its water demands, as well as maintaining the in-stream water rights.

High runoff during storm events caused spikes in raw water turbidity thus increasing the cost of water treatment.

Sedimentation required frequent dredging

An attempt was made to provide for fish passage by constructing a fish ladder within the footprint of the diversion dam. The fish ladder was undersized, too steep, and does not allow for successful passage through the impoundment structure.

The Lower Nehalem Watershed Council secured an OWEB technical assistance grant to supplement other funds to develop a technical design solution to reconnect Jetty Creek to its original alignment, eliminate the fish passage barrier, provide a reliable delivery of water to the WTP, improve in-stream flow conditions during the summer months, and enhance aquatic habitat by improving structural complexity and reestablishing transport capability.

Status: Funded/ In progress

Partners: City of Rockaway, Oregon Dept. of Water Resources, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.